If You Didn't Notice
by storythyme
Summary: They were considered the strongest soldiers, both seen as the saviours of humanity. In battle, nothing ever slipped their attention, every detail could be the difference between life and death. But what about everything else? Series of one shots. Ratings will change accordingly.
1. Chapter 1

This will be a series of one shots that may or may not be related.

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan.

Mikasa

She landed on the ground a bit wobbly before leaning on her legs for support. Sweat dripped down her brow while she evened out her breathing. Across from her, her sparring partner silently waited for her to catch her breath. When she looked up, their gazes met, but neither of them turned away.

She wasn't sure if she should ask, but it had been on her mind since these training sessions had started.

Not once had she ever voiced her curiousity, because she thought it was normal for a superior officer to individually train their subordinates. It also wasn't unusual for Mikasa to be shown favoritism. Most of the others teased her about her special treatment, but some people, like Eren, seethed with envy.

For that reason, she never mentioned her private training sessions with Captain Levi to anyone. By her observations, he didn't seem to be speaking others about it with others, so she just decided to follow his lead.

However, the other day when she asked Hange Zoe how often he train with other soldiers, she had laughed in her face. She told her that Levi _never_ trained others individually. Ever. Not even his teammates had ever received one on one training from him. Levi had apparently never offered to teach anyone and always denied those who approached him.

Yet, it had been over two months since the first time Levi had approached her.

"Captain Levi... May I ask you something?"

"Sure", he replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Why are you doing this?"

His shoulders tensed for a moment, but he didn't immediately say anything. He took his time, as if seriously thinking about his answer. Mikasa didn't let herself look away as his gaze remained unwavering, as if searched her eyes for something. "And what is it that you think that I'm doing?"

She thought her question had been obvious.

"Training me."

He closed his eyes and let out an exasperated breath. "I see."

Levi

It had been almost a year since he had first noticed her.

She was still a soldier in training, but she was hard not to notice. The name, Mikasa Ackerman, had been in circulation ever since she first joined the military. She was instantly singled out by her instructors as the trainee with the most potential. And true to their expectation, she was ranked number one in all categories. He wasn't even surprised to learn that her name was mentioned largely amongst the men because of her appearance.

When he had first seen her with his own eyes, he was more impressed with her natural abilities as a soldier than her exotic beauty. She was attractive, he could admit to that, but that wasn't what made him pay attention. It was the way she moved. He'd never seen a trainee move so effortlessly in their maneuver gear, or cut down Titans with that kind of speed and accuracy. She was observant of her surroundings and everything she did was efficient.

It was easy to see why she had piqued the interest of so many.

However, Levi didn't bother to make her acquaintance. Trainees who ranked in the top 10 of their class usually joined the Military Police. A girl who looked like that was probably looking for an easy life behind Wall Sina, not a hard life that was constantly at risk of dying and loss. And with that, he vowed to never think twice about her.

This vow lasted until the Battle of Trost.

She had some kind of familial relationship with Eren Yeager, the boy who could transform into a Titan. Of course, Levi didn't know this at first, so he assumed they were a couple. He made sure to keep conversations with Eren brusque and to ignore his ever permanent shadow, Mikasa Ackerman. It was annoying how often they were spotted together. And despite his efforts to remain indifferent about her, he couldn't help but to silently agree when others gossiped about her being too good for Erin.

It wasn't actually until Levi carefully watched the two interact, that he realized everyone's assumptions on there being any romantic involvement, was false. They didn't share any meaningful looks, there were no lingering touches, and most notably, Eren never got jealous. Mikasa may have felt something stronger than family ties to Erin, but he saw her as nothing more than a sister.

With this new discovery, suddenly Mikasa Ackerman became a person of interest to him. He found himself watching her whenever they were in the same vicinity. The more he watched her, the more he found himself wondering what kind of person she really was. It had been a few months since he had read her files... Actually, he had done more than _just read_ them, he had practicaly memorized them. Yet, he had never actually spoken with her directly.

So from that moment on, he made it a personal mission of his to run into her as often as possible.

She was always polite, but didn't speak much more than basic formalities to him. It reminded him that she just saw him as a superior officer. For his plan to work, she needed to be able to speak comfortably with him. What could he do? How was he going to go about this? When was she ever alone? Would he ever get a chance to speak with her? Have her acknowledge him without the formalities as her leader?

Since when did Captain Levi of the Survey Corp, the strongest soldier humanity had ever seen, obsess over an 18 year old girl?

Almost a week later, he found himself watching as she practiced with her maneuver gear in the twilight of the moon. There wasn't much light shining through the branches, but Mikasa was sailing through the trees as if it was as clear as a cloudless afternoon. He was so entranced, he didn't notice when she had changed course and was heading towards him, sitting in the shadows of a condensed area of branches.

When she dropped down and asked if there was anything she could do for him, he instead offered to teach her how to improve her striking form.

She didn't take him seriously at first, but when he explained the theory of continuous rotation while using maneuver gear, her undivided attention was focused on him. This was a first for him. Mikasa Ackerman had never watched him so intensely before. She usually looked past him, as if eager for anything else to catch her attention. But in that moment, it was as if nothing else was in her field of vision except for him. It was both exhilarating and addictive.

So from that night on, he would search her out when he knew she was off duty and they would train together. Always alone. And always away from prying eyes. She never once questioned his motive, so he never thought to explained what he was actually doing. That is, until she asked him why.

"I don't bring you out here, away from everyone else, _ just to train you." _

Her eyebrows knit together in confusion. "Then why do you always appear when I'm about to train?"

He was mildly surprised that she didn't notice that he only approached her when she was_ alone. _He thought she was more observant than that.

"You're a smart girl, I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: Thanks nikess96 for the correct spelling of Eren's name! I think I'm just used to spelling the name with an "i". Also, I realized that Levi's title is Lance Corporal, but I thought Captain was more fitting considering he's the strongest soldier.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan.

It wasn't widely known, but Mikasa genuinely liked Sasha Blouse and considered her a close friend.

Actually, Sasha was probably the only female friend Mikasa actually had. She didn't particularly get along with any of the others, and their similar upbringing in the mountains was what began their affiliation. Whenever they spoke of their pasts, sledding down snowy slopes of winter or playing in the blossoming fields of spring, both women felt a kind of calm that didn't exist within the Survey Corps.

To others, Mikasa was known as a stoic soldier or an over protective older sister who was quiet and liked to keep to herself. To Sasha, Mikasa was nostalgic, sincere, and even funny when she wanted to be. It was common knowledge that Mikasa was a revered soldier, but that was pretty much it. People didn't generally see her do or say things that weren't related to Eren or the military. She was both admired and feared, so most people didn't get to know her, not that they didn't try. There were a lot of people who tried to get to know Mikasa, but she always politely replied to their inquiries before walking away without a second glance. Mikasa didn't deem it necessary to create ties with others, but Sasha had managed to worm her way into a position that was cherished for those considered family, like Eren and Armin.

People were generally surprised when they first realized how close the two were. There was actually very little the two didn't know about each other. They had completely opposite personalities, yet they got along as if they had always known each other. Yes, they were an unlikely friendship, but their opposite qualities just seemed to compliment each other. Sasha was good at coaxing Mikasa into having fun, while Mikasa could prevent Sasha from getting into too much mischief.

Whenever Mikasa wasn't with Eren or Armin, you could usually find her with Sasha. And because the two were often found together in their spare time, it was obvious that Sasha would be the first to notice.

Captain Levi had lately been making an effort to talk to Mikasa more than was necessary. It was apparent to Sasha that he was trying to talk to Mikasa, because he never actually looked her way when speaking. While she was curious, Sasha didn't say anything at first. She held her tongue because there was a chance that she was just imagining things and Mikasa never said anything about it.

However, the day Captain Levi's face reddened when Mikasa commented that he must have a lot of free to time to constantly discuss trivial things with her, was the day Sasha knew something was up. Levi had dismissed her comment and gone sulking off to who knows where. While Mikasa appeared outwardly neutral to the Captains disappearing figure, Sasha recognized the perplexed expression behind the neutral facade. She couldn't hold it in anymore, her curiosity had been eating at her for far too long.

"Okay, what was that?", she blurted out.

Mikasa blinked back at Sasha. "What was what?"

Sasha rubbed her face, Mikasa really could be dense when it came to things beyond her brother and fighting. "With Captain Levi, of course! He was obviously trying to have some kind of conversation with you and you totally blew him off!"

Mikasa seemed to contemplate what Sasha said for a moment before responding. "Then he should have said so instead of sprinting off. I just thought as a superior officer, he'd have more important things to do than idle chit chat. He seems to been doing that a lot lately. Actually, this is already the second time today."

Sasha's eyes widened as she realized something from what Mikasa had said. "Do you mean to say that Captain Levi often tries to converse with you? About things that have nothing to do with the military or Eren?" Mikasa nodded without speaking, waiting for Sasha to continue. "Are you serious? Why haven't you ever said anything?"

Mikasa looked confused now. "Why would I say anything? People often try to speak with me and it was never worth mentioning before."

Sasha couldn't believe her friend didn't notice the importance of Captain Levi actively searching her out, just to talk. "But this is Captain Levi we're talking about here! What kinds of things does he try to talk to you about?" She paused a moment, to think of what could happen if someone overheard what they were talking about. "Wait, don't answer that yet." Sasha looked around the courtyard and before Mikasa could respond, she grabbed her arm and dragged her into an empty meeting room. Sasha's curiosity was only growing and she planned on grilling Mikasa until she was satisfied. This conversation was better held in private, she didn't want anyone to overhear what she was starting to suspect.

After Sasha made sure to lock the door, she turned to her friend grinning. "Okay, now you can answer."

Mikasa was used to Sasha's abrupt reactions to things, but she still frowned. "I don't know why you had to drag me into this room, I could have just as easily answered you out there." Sasha responded, "Just humour me."

"Well...He usually asks me things or tells me random information." When Mikasa stopped, Sasha urged her to continue in more detail. "What kinds of things does he ask you about? Is it military related information he tell you or is it actually random." Mikasa had to think back at their previous encounters before she could respond. "He's asked me about my childhood and my preferences. And the things he tells me are usually unrelated to the military, although he usually informs me about things that are in regards to Eren."

Although most people would accept Mikasa's vague answer and possibly even leave the topic alone, Sasha was only starting. She didn't even notice that she was starting to jump up and down as she took a large breath and began to rapid fire questions at her. "So Captain Levi asks you about your likes and interests? What do you say when you answer him? Did you tell him about your parents and your life in the mountain? What about how you came to live with Eren? How much does he know about you now? What do you know about him? What have you asked him?"

Mikasa didn't know how Sasha could possibly ask so many questions in a single breath, but her friend seemed excited about her conversations with Captain Levi, so felt obliged to answer her questions. "Yes, he asks me about things I enjoy. I told him protecting Eren and training. When he asked me about my past, I told him he could read about it in my file. And I only respond to his questions and have not asked him any personal or military related questions." Mikasa responded so matter of factly, that Sasha almost fell over.

Sasha knew she shouldn't be surprised, but it couldn't be helped. Mikasa was reserved about her past, and it wasn't until the third year of their friendship that she had told Sasha about her past. So, it should only be expected that Mikasa would answer so impersonally to the Captain's questions, but she couldn't help but be a bit disappointed. And on top of that, Mikasa didn't use that opportunity to learn anything. If the Captain had shown interest in anyone else, they probably would have taken the chance to clear all the mystery surrounding himself. She herself was dying to know if those rumors about him being involved with the underworld before joining the military was true.

_Nothing? She never asked him anything? How could she not ask him anything after he'd asked her so much and was constantly trying to converse with her?_

But Mikasa was a different case, and Sasha knew better then to ask why Mikasa didn't care about his past or personal life. After an exasperated sigh and an overly dramatic eye roll, Sasha asked, "Do you at least know why he keeps talking to you?" Sasha hoped that her oblivious friend would at least be aware of the Captains blatant attempts at catching her dear friend's attention.

She shook her head no, and when realizing her non-verbal response was not good enough, Mikasa spoke. "No, I thought I knew, but it appears I was wrong. I originally thought that he had too much time on his hands or wanted to get to know the newer recruits of the Survey Corps. However, from your reaction to these interactions, I assume that his actions are unusual."

Sasha watched Mikasa's face to see if the answer would dawn on her, but there didn't seem to be any change. Mikasa on the other hand observed her friend struggle to hold something in. "I presume you know why Captain Levi is acting out of character and expect me to know." Sasha nodded so fast that Mikasa had to smile. "I'm sorry to say that I don't know the reason to his actions. You will have to enlighten me to what this reason is."

This was too oblivious, even for Mikasa. Sasha couldn't help but gape back at her. "You can't tell me that you didn't notice he was blushing today!", she yelled while flailing her arms.

Mikasa had to lean back to avoid getting hit by the thrashing appendages. She _did _notice that his cheeks had reddened when she had commented on his amount of free time, but she had thought he was just embarrassed about being caught procrastinating. "Yes, I did notice he was blushing, but what does that have to do with why he tries to talk to me?" To Sasha's incredible disappointment and displeasure, Mikasa genuinely didn't seem to notice. Sasha covered her face and mumbled something indecipherable into her hands, when she suddenly got a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"What is it?", Mikasa asked, feeling hesitent at Sasha's sudden change in mood. "Why do you suddenly have that look? Just tell me what the Captain's reason is and don't try to cause any trouble Sasha. You know you'll just get punished like you always do. So you might as well stop while you're ahead."

"Never mind. Forget I mentioned anything Mikasa. I'm sure if Captain Levi wanted you to know, he would tell you. He seems like a pretty straightforward person... or he did before this." Sasha drawled out the last part so quietly, Mikasa barely heard her. Sasha turned around to open the door before pausing in her sudden haste to look back at her friend. "You can head on ahead without me, I'm going to see if I can get out of cleaning all the maneuver gear."

Mikasa crossed her arms and gave Sasha a questioning look. "What are you planning Sasha?"

Frozen at the doorway, Sasha gave a forced laugh while waving off her friend. "Don't worry about it Mikasa. I'm just going to go plead my case to the Captain and I'm sure he'll pardon me from my punishment."

Mikasa sighed and took a step forward to place her hand on Sasha's shoulder. She figured talking sense into her friend before getting into more trouble was the appropriate thing to do. "Sasha, you stole food from the locked storage rooms again. You're guilty and everyone including yourself knows it. What makes you think he would pardon you from cleaning instead of adding more to your punishment?"

Sasha took a step back so Mikasa's arm fell back down to her side and gave her a knowing grin. "Because he owes me one for keeping my mouth shut." And before Mikasa could ask what she was talking about, Sasha sprinted down the hallway towards Captain Levi's office.

Mikasa stood there watching her friend turn a corner and disappear.

_I wonder what Sasha's talking about?_


End file.
